Improving Taste Means Improving Nutrition

What most people don't realize is that the importance of taste doesn't stop at simply enjoying the flavor of the foods we eat. Although treating yourself to a meal at a superb restaurant or enjoying a scrumptious dinner at home seems reward enough, taste is actually an integral and important part of nutrition.

To a large degree, it is our taste buds that actually trigger important digestive
and metabolic functions allowing us to better use the essential nutrients we get from our diet. When
food passes over our taste buds, those wonderful tastes not only trigger pleasure and satisfaction,
they also send an important message to our body that nutrition is on its way. Those tiny taste buds
are, in essence, telling our bodies to get to work, and metabolize the foods we are eating.

Not only does MSG make good food taste better for
consumers, new studies show that MSG may play a role in the overall
health and nutrition of people who need it most. Aging, as well as a
number of diseases and illnesses, decrease our ability to taste and
smell. This decrease in our senses is a major contributor to poor
nutritional status in populations like the elderly, making it
increasingly difficult for doctors and nutritionists to ensure that
their patients get much-needed nutrients. Studies have found that
adding MSG to certain foods, such as soup and mashed potatoes, has been
successful in increasing the food intake in institutionalized elderly
populations.

Since its discovery in 1908, monosodium glutamate (MSG) has been used safely and effectively to enhance the taste of foods. The extensive scientific research on glutamate, umami and monosodium glutamate has been reviewed by scientists and regulators worldwide. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration and regulatory agencies around the world have concluded that monosodium glutamate (MSG) is safe for everyone. Glutamate seasoning is the simplest, purest way to add umami to food.